


Ducklings

by FreakOnWheat



Category: N/A - Fandom, None - Fandom, OC - Fandom, Original - Fandom, fluff - Fandom, friendship - Fandom
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-16
Updated: 2015-02-25
Packaged: 2018-03-13 07:31:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3373004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreakOnWheat/pseuds/FreakOnWheat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A high school junior adopts a freshman and guides her through the high school experience.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The world is a loud place. There’s no escaping that. Perhaps the thought process of high school administration is that the louder their pep rallies are, the less likely their students are to revolt. After all, who can devise a master plan to overthrow authority when ones eardrums are bleeding profusely? Of course, one has options on pep rally days. Making a run for it posed its risks; skipping out on their parade of athletes and drum lines was glutton for punishment. Curling up in a ball on the bleachers had proven to be a decent tactic if the fear of being caught outranked your fear of permanent hearing loss.  
Nora Wallis had an understanding of the politics that governed Ralph Emerson High School. It was after all, her social service as junior to educate underclassmen that fell into her social group on the laws and regulations that had paved the halls of institutionalized public learning since the 1970’s. Nora had taken on a little red haired freshman in mid September as a special interest to this cause. ‘Little’ was perhaps a stretch in physical regards. The red head in question, Juliet Yearbly, was a solid four inches taller than her elder counterpart. Juliet was a thin girl with impressive hips but lacking in other regards. Her face was not extraordinary beautiful, but was lovely enough to attract attention for a passing moment. Her hair was the color of rosewood; cut short with the sides buzzed and a top-heavy bang. Her almond shaped face held her features nicely, with her nose and mouth close to one another in proximity to her chin. Her eyes, which were set higher up and apart from one another just ever so slightly, were a redeeming seal brown. She was not extraordinarily beautiful, but perhaps that was the factor that had attracted Nora’s attention in the first place.  
The pair held hands amongst the hustle and bustle of the student body shoveling into the gymnasium. The roar of nearly a thousand adolescents chattering added to the chaos of the upcoming event, “It’s not too late to make a run for it.” Nora cocked her head back and gave Juliet's hand a squeeze as the crowd forced them apart but still attached in single file. Guiding her little freshman to the junior section of the rally, Nora pulled Juliet closer, stiffing her arm to prevent any give as they walked together, “It’s only going to get louder. You know how much we love that.” Nora’s reminder was heard but momentary dismissed.  
“We might as well try and stay.” Juliet replied, “No harm in that.” Nora shrugged in response, pressing her lips together in mute rebuttal. The pair finally made it to the junior’s row of bleachers on the second story of the gymnasium and paused. Nora had imagined smuggling Juliet into the juniors section to be a harder feat to accomplish, but the lack of resistance was far from unwelcomed. Nora paused and surveyed the area around them before turning around to face the cafeteria doors that led out of the gym. As she did this, the pep rallies music began to play, just enough to be heard over the student bodies voices. Nora’s brow furrowed in disapproval before digging into her jean pockets to retrieve a pair of headphones that fit into her ears. If she were going to stay by Juliet’s side, she would at least attempt to do it comfortably, “After the pep rally we can leave through these doors.” Nora tugged on Juliet’s arm to get her attention.  
“Easy peasy.” Juliet acknowledged as she hung closer to the banister that separated the bleachers from the floor. For the most part, Nora could not hear her friends’ response, but nodded regardless. The music’s volume increased by several notches, drowning out the students voices but simultaneously penetrating past Nora’s attempt to cancel out sound entirely. Again, Nora tugged on Juliet’s arm, this time with a bit more distress attached to her efforts, “I’m going to wait outside!” Nora had to shout. It was too loud to be there. Nora broke away from Juliet’s hand and scurried past the cafeteria doors and into the unoccupied space beyond. The older girl tugged her earphones out and sat against the wall next to the doors she had just passed through. The noise pulsed through the barricade, not unbearably so, but enough to be known.  
Staring out at the empty space, Nora took in the sight of the barren high school cafeteria. The tables that normally lined the floor were folded into themselves and pressed against a far off wall. Being where she knew she didn’t belong, Nora pulled her legs against her chest in response to the discomfort. Across the cafeteria, a shackled noise made itself known. Tensing up, Nora stared off in the direction that the clanking had come from. Out from the cluster of tables walked a janitor; dragging a table behind him propped on top of a rolling trashcan so the tables’ legs couldn't drag. The silence broken, Nora looked on, but went unnoticed until the janitor came closer and became aware of her presence.  
“Aren't you supposed to be in there?” he asked, his brows pinching as he asked.  
“It’s too loud.” Nora replied, her nerves catching in her voice, eyes pleading not be sent back into what she had just escaped.  
“Ah, I gotcha, no worries kid.” and the janitor rolled on to leave the cafeteria.  
“Hey wait,” Nora stood up, “Do you need help with anything?” she asked, “I don’t have anything to do.” The janitor looked at her inquisitively, “You sure?” he asked.  
“Yea, why not?” Nora shrugged as she moved to stand.  
“A’ight... Go on over there and grab that trashcan, so we can roll the tables out.” Nora complied and took to the task in a sprint. When she made her way to the middle of the cafeteria, the doors from the gym opened, and a flustered Juliet made her belated escape, “Nora?” Juliet called, confused at the running.  
“We’re helping him move tables!” Nora replied as she latched onto the rolling trashcan and zipped across the floor with it in front of her.


	2. Chapter 2

The newly formed trio shuffled through the open halls. While the janitor steered a table on his own, the girls wheeled one together. With Nora at one side pushing, Juliet found herself at the other correcting Nora’s driving habits. The older of the two, Nora Wallis, was well meaning in her efforts, but perhaps misguided in her execution.  
The girls had found themselves blended into one another, taking on roles in the friendship outside either’s first intentions. Nora bulldozing ahead while Juliet steered when it was necessary. The illusion of freedom and mutual competence governed their ability to regulate, and restore one another in the grand scheme of their entanglement.  
Unlike Juliet, pink haired Nora walked through life possessing an oval shaped face with a heart like quality around her jaw. Blessed with a full hourglass figure, she stood at nearly five foot five on a good day. Being particular about her face, she preoccupied her mornings drawing her eyebrows on in a thicker, more ‘acceptable’ manner. With large green eyes set two thumbs width above the middle of her face, the bridge of her nose was wider as it blended and kept her eyes apart slightly. Below her nose there were two soft ridges defining the groove between her upper lip and nostrils. Her mouth was of average composition; two soft points dubbed the upper portion before spreading out in a natural curve while her bottom lip was set larger and rounder in its oval contour.  
The janitor stepped through a classroom door before Nora and Juliet followed suit with their own table in tow. Both were deposited beside one another and aligned with two other tables that had already been in the room.  
Shortly after, Nora and Juliet were dismissed from their positions, the janitor leaving them kindly before going his own way. Nora looked on at him, a faint smile creasing her lips, “Hey,” she invited, knocking her right hand against Juliet's, “We never caught his name.” Juliet answered Nora’s motion by taking her hand into her own before shrugging.  
“At least we got out of the pep rally.” She offered a squeeze to fully establish their escape.


	3. A Preface P.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Nora and Juliet Happened.

Across the courtyard, there was a sprawling of cliques, bodies and backpacks as far as ones attention span allowed. Ralph Emerson High school was not lacking in its outdoor décor. It supplied benches and picnic tables under shade for its students to congregate during their lunches, and off in the center was a high rise of stone that held various grasses and shrubbery in its center. However, in the picnic area of the mesh, sat Nora. She sat plainly amongst her peers who all busied themselves on their phones and games. Due to an unfortunate klutzy circumstance, Nora was without the technological advantage that entertained her friends. Nevertheless, it is perhaps just this factor that dared her to look up in the first place.  
Being the cruel mistress that boredom was, Nora held her head up with her left palm, eyes glazed in desperate need for outside stimulation. There was nothing for her here, no phone to distract her and no conversation to ground her. Nora Wallis, not one to accept a relatively dull place in life, found her eyes wandering to the center of the courtyard where the stone rose from the ground and brought attention to the sprawling mess of weeds. On the side though, a light burgundy caught her eye. The red in question belonged to Juliet Yearbly.  
Still unknown to one another, a bored glance was all it took.   
Nora stood up, unnoticed amongst her occupied classmates. She walked away from the silence and into the bustle of voices that offered entertainment. Nora integrated herself into the group, finding an acquaintance that she had collected in her two and a half years at the school amongst the new group. She gave her smiles and introductions, explaining her sudden appearance by gesturing towards the common friend. It wasn’t long before she came to see up close what she had seen from afar, “Hi, I’m Nora.” she smiled, giving a short wave.  
Juliet returned the smile, introducing herself, although her name was ultimately forgotten shortly after. Shamelessly, Nora asked forgiveness at her need for a reminder.  
“Juliet.” 

+++

After a lovely formal introduction, and several restatements of names and such, Juliet found herself clinging to the back of a then brunette Nora. Three times around the stone garden Nora stumbled at the end before releasing Juliet from the piggy back ride. The two laughed at the shared experience and the extent of its ridiculousness. The two merged back into the group but found themselves still together. Nora playfully looped her arms around Juliets waist, giving a playful smirk as she looked up at Juliet. With complete intention of a joke, Nora pressed her lips together and then in a quick motion, laid a peck against Juliets cheek.

And thus was the first miscommunication. 

After Nora Retracted, Juliet learned in, their noses touching. Nora's eyebrows rose in surprise, unsure as to what she was meant to do. So, in the spirit of why-the-hell-not, their lips met in platonic rhapsody, synced together in strange new territory. '


End file.
